Loose leaf binders



Aug. 2, 1960 P. BENNETT 2,947,309 LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Filed Dec. 17,1957- 2 sheaths-Sheet 1 Inventor Phillipfiennezi Aug. 2, 1960 P. BENNETT2,947,309

LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Filed Dec. 17, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 6 3 F/G.7. m

I m It $bil v T i -5b F/GQ F/G/O Inventor 'P/ u'l Z1. ,0 ,Benneii By WAttorneys1k Un te States LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Phillip Bennett, Port Mills,Brimscombe, Stroud, England Filed Dec. 17, 1957, Ser. No. 703,388 1Claim. (Cl. 129-24) This invention relates to loose leaf binders havingring plates movable in relation to one another into the open and closedposition and which ring plates are mounted on pivoted flaps on the coverof the binder adapted to close inwardly into alignment to move the ringplates into the closed position fastening the loose leaves on curvedprongs on the ring plates, and this invention has for its object simplemeans for fastening together the ring plates in the closed position andwhich means are operated in a very simple manner.

According to the present invention, a loose leaf binder has ringcarrying plates mounted on flaps thereon adapted to swing on a creasejoint between the flaps and the cover of the binder, and has fastenerscaptively attached to the binder which have socket and tongue engagementwith the ends of the ring plates to form a rigid support connecting theends of the ring plates and locking the ring plates in the closedposition and whereby the ring plates are held fixed together in theclosed position without the fastener requiring support from the bindercover. 'Ihe fasteners may each comprise a flat plate slidably mounted onthe binder and a head on the plate having sockets for engaging tongueson the ends of the ring plates. The flat plate of the fastener may havea slot therein which engages a head pin on the binder, the plate beingslidable between the flaps carrying the ring plates. The flat plate ofthe fastener may be slidably engaged between two layers of the covermember.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is an inside face view of a portion of a binder with the ringplates in the closed position.

Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1, with the ring plates in an openposition.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a fastener detached.

Figure 4 is a front view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a section on line V I-VI of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a face view of a portion of a binder showing a modified formof the invention.

Figure 8 is a section on line VI I IVI'I'I of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a face view of a portion of a ring plate detached, and

Figure 10 is an end elevation.

According to one form of the invention, a loose leaf binder comprises acover A formed of paper board or the like and two flaps 2 are formed byfolding the material of the cover at the junction of the face portions 3and back portion 4, the two layers of the fold being suitably fixedtogether. The ring plates 5, having curved filing prongs 5a thereon, areformed as mouldings of plastics material and are mounted on the flaps 2by rivets. The flaps 2 can thus swing on the crease joints 6 on thecover to swing the ring plates into the closed position side by side, asshown by Figure 1, or into the open position, as shown by Figure 2, forinserting or removing loose leaves on the curved prongs 5a. In order tofasten the ring plates in the closed position, slide fasteners 7 areanchored on the back of the binder cover and engage and mold the ringplates in the closed position. The fasteners 7 comprise slides eachhaving ailat plate 8 adapted to slide on the back portion 4 of thebinder cover and such plate has a head =9 upstanding from one end, thefront face of which has two holes or recesses 10 therein. The ringplates 5 have each a tongue 11 on each end thereof and when the ringplates are in the closed position, side by side, the slides are adaptedto be moved inwardly to engage the holes 10 on the tongues 11. The fiatplate 8 has a slot 12 therein which engages a headed pin 13 on thebinder cover to slidably position the fastener on such cover and theplate is slidable intermediate the two flaps 2. All corners on thetongues 11 on the ring plates 5 are curved and the mouths of therecesses 10 are also curved to provide a lead-in for the engagement ofthe recesses [10 on the tongues 11.

As the ring plates 5 are mounted on paper board or like flaps swingingabout crease joints, precise positioning of the ring plates may not beobtained as would be the case if the ring plates be mounted on pivotpins on metal parts and therefore each fastener 7 is constructed toreadily adjust itself and the tongues 11 for engagement. The fastenersform means for holding the ring plates rigidly together and the ringplates and fasteners automatically align themselves when the fastenersare moved into engagement with the ring plates. When. the fasteners 7are engaged on the ring plates 5, such fasteners and ring plates form arigid unit without any help from the cover of the binder. The fasteners7 need not be mounted on the cover of the binder asrthe attachment tothe cover does not function as any part of the fastening, the attachmentof the fastener 7 to the cover is merely a convenience for retaining thefastener 7 in a position ready for engagement. Thus notwithstanding theflexibility of the cover of the binder, a proper alignment of the ringplates is maintained when the fasteners have been applied. Having regardto the formation of the flaps on the binder cover, there is a tendencyfor the flaps, when free, to open and this applies a. spring pressurefrictionally holding the fastener 7 in position on the ring plates 5. Asthe fastener 7 engages both ring plates 5 at the ends, the fastener ismounted on the ring plates, and as the ring plates cannot pivot, verylittle strain is taken by the means slidably fixing the fastener 7 tothe cover of the binder and therefore simple mounting means only arerequired.

In another form, the plate 8 of the fastener 7 is, as shown by Figures 7and 8, freely and slidably mounted between two layers 14 of the cover Bof the binder between the flaps 5b on which the ring plates are mounted.The head 9 of the fastener is connected to the plate 8 by a central stem15 which passes through a slot 16 in the top layer of the two layers 14,so that the plate 8 lies between the layers with the stem *15 passingthrough the slot 16 and the head 9 lying above the top layer 14, theslot allowing the fastener a limited sliding movement. The fastener 7 isthus free to move between the layers 14 and is not confined to an exactparticular movement, but is free to move in any direction within limits.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

A loose leaf binder comprising a cover having spaced apart parallelflaps adapted to swing about a crease joint connecting the flaps to thecover of the binder and the cover between the flaps being formed of aninner layer and an outer layer of material, ring carrying plates mountedon the fiaps and adapted to be brought into position with the flaps inthe same plane when the flaps are folded inwardly towards one another toclose the binder, tongues on the ends of the ring carrying plates,

a fastener forengaging said tongues on adjacent ends of the ringcarrying plates having a fiat plate slidably mounted on the binder and ahead on the plate having sockets therein for engaging said tongues tomount the fastener on the ring carrying plates and to hold the ringcarrying" plates against movement in relation to one another when thebinder is closed, and means for slidably anchoring the plate of thefastener between said two layers of the binder cover so that it islocatedpreparatory to being slidably engaged with said tongues forfastening 10 2,572,305

the binder in the closed position, comprising astern on the fastenerconnecting said plate and said head, and a slot in the inner of said twolayers of the bindercevef through which said stem passes which slotlimits the sliding movement of the fastener.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED PATENTS

